Even the most efficient commercial kitchen equipment will consume far too much energy if the staff's user behaviour is wrong. In many commercial kitchens it is still common practice that all equipment is switched on at the start of the shift and switched off again at the end of the shift. Earlier technologies justified this behaviour. For example, many cooking appliances had too long a heat-up time. The problem is that this forced the cook to always keep the appliance at temperature, even when it was not in use. This is because it must be possible to start the cooking process the moment the order arrives. Otherwise, the guest would have to wait much longer and the kitchen processes would be disrupted. This behaviour has certainly continued to this day, not least because of a certain convenience, although technology often makes it no longer necessary. 

For this reason, the manufacturers of commercial kitchen equipment organised in the HKI Industrieverband Haus-, Heiz- und Küchentechnik e.V. have compiled a practical overview in the form of a guide to energy efficiency in commercial kitchens entitled "Protecting the climate and cutting costs". It shows how energy can be used efficiently in commercial kitchens and how energy can be saved while maintaining the same quality. The guide is aimed at chefs, business managers and kitchen managers of commercial kitchens and communal catering facilities. You can find the guideline free of charge here.

To sustainably reduce energy consumption by positively influencing user behaviour, the guide needs to be widely spread among the relevant target group. This can only be done through publication by the public sector.

In this context, the guide should only be seen as a first approach. Other channels need to be developed through which the content reaches the user. A training film in several languages, training material or even a compulsory training course on the topic. The association can contribute its know-how in terms of content. However, the funding must come from the public sector.